


When Wind Whispers Without a Sound and Sunlight Goes Unseen

by PurpleArrowzandLeather



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Brotherhood, Hurt Andal, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Persons, Protective Cayde, Protective Tevis and Shiro, Rescues, righteous anger and burning fury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 04:32:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16803697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleArrowzandLeather/pseuds/PurpleArrowzandLeather
Summary: Andal Brask goes missing and Cayde, Tevis, and Shiro make it their mission to find him. Nothing will stand in their way.





	When Wind Whispers Without a Sound and Sunlight Goes Unseen

**Author's Note:**

> I really, really wish we could have had the chance to know Andal Brask in the game. I mean, personally, I also think it would be awesome to have a movie about Cayde and his group of Hunters before there were Vanguard. But hey, that's just me. :) Enjoy.

Cayde has been searching for Andal for three long weeks. He hadn’t been worried after the first week. Andal drops off the grid from time to time, but this time is different. He’s never been gone this long without some form of contact. Cayde has never had to be afraid for him before. 

He went missing in the Cosmodrome and Cayde has been looking nonstop ever since he realized that he was, in fact, missing. 

♤♤♤♤♤ 

It’s cold. Colder than Andal has ever felt. His skin is tight and dry and his lips are chapped. His breaths are a painful rasp that has marked his days and nights. Every part of him aches. He can feel the warmth of light on his face, but he is almost positive that it isn’t sunlight. He can feel steps vibrating through the soggy ground, coming closer to him. 

Andal jolts forwards as a hand touches his chest. His breath hitches in his chest and the hand retreats. He swallows, trying to calm himself. His heart leaps into his throat as a blade slides against his skin. It’s not quite enough to cut, but just enough to make him tense. 

The chittering that the Fallen make is a light twitching across the edge of the blade. 

Andal yelps as the blade slices at him. He’s certain there isn’t anywhere on him that isn’t drenched in blood or sweat. His cloak was torn from him weeks ago, but he doubts even it could protect him now. He’s run out of the energy for any screaming, but even the sound he does make encourages his tormentors. 

He counts seconds until it’s over to distract himself. His blood thrums through him, his frame quaking. Andal tastes blood in his mouth, nearly choking on it as it crawls up his throat. 

The warmth of healing from his Ghost draws a whimper out of him and he shakes his head. Weak protest comes from his mouth as they force Reglan to heal him. He can’t tell if he’s coherent or not, but the healing recedes. Something hard hits the table and Andal flinches. It’s dragged along the edge, Andal tensing down the course of his frame as it passes. 

A hand grabs his and Andal attempts to pull away. The action is useless, considering that he’s tied down. Whatever has his hand forces his fingers to wrap around part of the contraption on the table. The small bars give him a good enough picture of a cage. 

Something small presses at his finger from the inside and Andal realizes that it’s Reglan. Just as his fingers reach out to the Ghost again, the cage is ripped away. 

Something drips on him from above his head and he cringes away when he realizes that it must be the drool of a Fallen. Many hands with many tools carve at his skin and he struggles to no avail. He croaks out a plea, the sound breaking off into a moan that he can’t hear. 

♤♤♤♤♤ 

Cayde travels down into a Hive husk, the insides hollowed out and turned into a hideout for Fallen. This place is his last hope. He’s been everywhere else in his search, and this is the last place that any Fallen would dare try to hide from him. It’s been a month now, and he will kill every last Fallen if that’s what it takes. 

He buries his knives into as many as he can and puts bullets in many more. His anger is burning more brightly than usual, the explosions from his weapon burning deep into the pits. He clears every room and unlocks every door in search of Andal. 

He almost misses it when he hears something in the black hole of Hive Darkness. It’s a tapping, sluggish and barely there, but it’s close. Cayde enters, shivering as the cold wiggles its way under his armor. The clinking stops for a long moment and Cayde wanders into a new hallway. The Darkness isn’t so thick here and Cayde shrugs to rid himself of its last traces. 

The tapping returns and Cayde continues on his path. He slows when he walks into an open room. It was obviously used for Hive rituals before this, but now the only thing in the center of the room is a table. Someone is strapped to it, their face tilted away from the door. Blood is everywhere. The tapping continues. 

Cayde recognizes the human, of course, knowing him anywhere. He approaches slowly, trying not to spook him. 

“Andal?” 

There’s no response, but Cayde can clearly see the rise and fall of his chest. 

“Andal? You hear me?” 

There’s no answer and Cayde continues his approach, coming around the side of the table so that Andal can see him. Cayde lifts a hand to touch him, his eyes closed. His metal finger barely makes contact before Andal jolts. Cayde jumps back. His eyes come open and Cayde stands over him. 

“Andal? Andal, come on. I came for you, buddy.” 

He receives no response yet again and Cayde feels an inkling of panic. 

It’s when Cayde realizes that Andal can’t see him that it solidifies. 

“Wash, can you fix him?” 

“Not here. Not without his Ghost. We have to get him out.” 

Cayde nods, glancing around for Andal’s Ghost. He spots it in a cage pushed up against the wall. Ghost eyes litter the floor around him and Cayde’s anger blazes. He opens the cage, cradling Andal’s Ghost carefully. The poor thing barely moves, only shifting closer to him before darkening again. Cayde pockets the Ghost and heads back to Andal. His chocolate colored eyes are blown wide with fear and his breaths are already coming hard. 

Cayde moves closer again, snapping his fingers next to Andal’s ears. Andal doesn’t so much as twitch. Cayde notes Andal’s hand splaying on the table, his fingers tapping desperately on the scratched metal. His fingertips are bloody. 

Cayde snaps his fingers again just to be sure and Andal continues his own tapping. Cayde is almost afraid to touch him again, so he instead places his own hand next to Andal’s. He taps out his own name in Morse code and Andal’s fingers slow, fumbling in whatever convoluted coping method they were maintaining. Still, he regains his rhythm, his fingers calling for help where his mouth no longer can. 

Cayde taps out Andal’s name on the table and his fingers slow to a stop. Cayde does it again and Andal’s bloodied fingers start a new pattern. 

_Who?_

Cayde forces a smile and taps out his own name again. Andal’s breaths catch and he shakes his head. Cayde taps back more urgently, knowing Andal doesn’t believe him. Andal doesn’t respond immediately, turning his head to the side and closing his eyes. 

_Do what you like. I do not care._

Cayde huffs. “Always were a skeptic when it came to miracles.” 

Cayde pulls one of Andal’s restraints loose, his bloodied hand flopping to the table. Cayde picks it up, as gentle as he can possibly be. He lifts Andal’s hand until it’s touching his face. Andal stills, his fingers weakly moving on their own to catalogue Cayde’s face. His face wrinkles when he reaches the horn attached firmly to Cayde’s head. Shaky fingers pull back and Andal swallows. 

“C-….” He breaks off, licking his lips. Their cracks start to bleed and he grimaces. “Cayde?” 

Cayde puts a hand back on the table, confirming. Andal’s voice is so quiet, but he isn’t exactly surprised. He breaks Andal’s restraints and picks him up, eliciting a pained whimper from him. 

Tevis radios in. “ _Cayde, wherever you are, I’ve got some bad news. I didn’t have any luck in the-…”_

“It doesn’t matter now.” Cayde answers, looking at Andal’s bloody face. “I’ve got him.” 

Tevis goes quiet before cutting comms. He’s on his way. Cayde holds Andal close, his skin freezing. The fact that all the Fallen in this old Hive shell are dead is little comfort to the state that Cayde found his best friend in. 

He gets him out as quickly as possible, trying his hardest to ignore the searching of Andal’s sightless eyes. Cayde settles him into a small cave where they’ll be safe. Tevis flies in overhead not more than a few moments later. He climbs into the cave, and extra cloak and armor set in his hands. They fall to the ground when Tevis sees Andal. 

“ _Oh, Traveler_.” Tevis murmurs. “How is he?” 

Cayde shakes his head. “I have no idea.” 

“He’s awake.” 

Cayde is silent is response to that. “How far out is Shiro?” 

“He’ll be here soon.” 

“Good.” 

Tevis wants to reach out and touch Andal to reassure himself, but looking at him now, that doesn’t seem to be the best idea. Cayde’s own shaky hands are all the confirmation he really needs anyway. Cayde pulls out another Ghost from his pouch and hands it carefully to Tevis. 

“He’s real weak. Be careful.” 

Tevis nods shortly, the Void whispering to him to kill those responsible. The temptation is strong, but he knows that if Cayde found him, the job is already done. Cayde’s Ghost comes out and nuzzles Reglan, but he gets no nuzzle back like he usually does. Tevis’ Ghost, Gunner, joins them. 

Shiro arrives in short order and crawls into the cave. He actually stumbles upon seeing Andal. Andal has never been one for the grunge of the Cosmodrome look, but what he’s sporting now is worse than that. Poorly healed wounds litter his frame and fresher ones that aren’t healed at all are an irritated red and a sickly infected yellow. Any and all armor on his upper half is gone, and his pants are barely holding together. His boots are long, long gone as well. 

Shiro reaches a hand out. “Andal?” 

“Don’t.” Cayde shakes his head, tapping out a message to Andal on the rocks under their hands. Andal responds slowly. 

“Why, what’s wrong?” 

Cayde looks at him seriously. “He’s blind, and deaf, and the Fallen have been doing whatever they wanted to do for the last month. I can only guess how he’s feeling right now.” 

Shiro looms over Andal, glancing back at the flickering Ghost in Tevis’ hands. The blind and deaf part had gotten his attention and his expression is murderous. 

“How long until we can heal him?” 

Cayde shrugs, carefully tapping to Andal. “Until his Ghost wakes up, I suppose.” 

They wait three, long days. 

Tevis had taken about a half-hour with Andal to get him changed into the spare set of armor and none of them had reacted well to his screams and shouts. Tevis’ verbal reassurances were of no help and his Morse was sloppy in his haste. Still, it gets done, and it had needed to be done. 

Shiro takes the shift after that, informing Andal on who it is with him and carefully washing his skin of blood. He washes Andal’s hair as well as he can, letting him drink some water to soothe his throat after he’s finished. 

Cayde is in the middle of his shift when Reglan whirs to life. The Ghost shifts its optic until it finds Cayde. 

“Cayde?” It glances around. “Where are we?” 

“In a cave just on the border of what used to be Old New Guinea.” 

It floats weakly over to him and Cayde cups it in his hands. “Thank you, Cayde.” 

Cayde nods. “Andal is sleepin’ now, so you could probably do a fix on what needs fixin’ while he’s out.” 

“Good. He hasn’t slept hardly at all throughout this. I’ll get to work on his eyes and ears. And then… everything else.” 

Cayde nods, watching Reglan move around. He keeps a close watch on Andal for any signs of distress, but none come. 

Shiro and Tevis rejoin them when Cayde informs them that he’s waking up. Andal comes around slowly, his eyes flicking open and closed. He looks around, his brow furrowing. 

“Where am I?” 

He sees the three Hunters crouched around him and he shouts in surprise, scrambling back into the farthest corner from them. He curls on himself, one hand coming up to his hair and pulling. 

“Andal?” Cayde says cautiously. “You hear me, buddy?” 

Andal looks up at Cayde then, nodding slowly. He squints at the bright lights of Cayde and Shiro’s eyes and they dim them just a little. He covers one ear, grimacing. 

Cayde lowers his voice to a whisper. “Better?” 

Andal nods, carefully rubbing his wrists. He anxiously watches them, as if waiting for them to disappear at any moment. They sit down on either side of him and Shiro gently pats his knee. 

“Don’t worry, Brask. We aren’t going anywhere. We’ll be here for every step of this. You just sit back and relax.” 

Andal nods, calming and quickly dozing off again. He’ll probably wake up like this for days, wondering if his rescue was just some fever dream. Cayde doesn’t care. They found him, and there is no way that they’ll let him suffer through this alone. They will get through this, even if it costs them a few sleepless nights. 

Andal deserves that much and more. 

The three of them figure that keeping Andal away from the crowded Tower for at least a little bit might be a good idea. Sure, his body is healed, but… the mind is a much more difficult thing. All Hunters are wary of others to a certain point, but Andal? There’s no telling how he’d react to the slightest of things. 

Andal shifts down onto his side, curling up small. Cayde stays for the first watch while Tevis and Shiro go out as lookouts. The occasional scream of a Fallen dying when they creep too close gives Cayde a spark of satisfaction. 

The first rays of sunlight start to sift into the mouth of the cave and Andal squirms when they touch him. Cayde cautiously moves closer, still keeping out of reach of Andal’s hands. 

Andal whines, his fingers spreading on the stone beneath him. They start to tap out a pattern and he shrinks away from the light. Cayde wants to reach out, or do something. Andal has never shied away from sunlight before. 

“Andal?” Cayde whispers, tapping out the same message across the rocks. 

He stiffens before bolting upright. He spots Cayde, picking up a sharp stone in his hand and leaping on him. He pins Cayde on his back, the stone at his throat. Cayde squirms, putting his hands up defensively, but also getting into a good position to grab him if need be. 

“Andal, you hear me? It’s okay, buddy. Everything’s okay. Just look at me, all right? I’m not gonna hurt ya’.” 

Andal lets out a fluttery breath. He staggers away, unusually clumsy as he drops his makeshift weapon. He grips his hair with his right hand. 

“Sorry.” 

Cayde carefully gets up, shrugging. “It happens to all of us. I got Tevis pretty good once. He’s been more careful, but he still lingers a bit too close sometimes.” 

Andal clenches his jaw, looking away from him. It takes Cayde a moment to realize that Andal is shaking. He creeps forward a little, gently touching the rock in front of Andal’s knees. 

“I’m gonna hug you, all right? Promise I won’t do anything.” 

Andal nods, his eyes shut. 

Cayde puts light fingers on Andal’s shoulder, pulling him into a warm embrace. Andal clings to him, tears starting to fall down his cheeks. Cayde quiets him, tapping out reassurances in Morse code on his back. Andal’s Arc energy responds, crackling softly around Cayde’s fingertips. 

“Do you... do you want to go outside?” 

Andal hesitates before nodding. Reglan appears over his shoulder and Andal cups the little Ghost in his hands. Reglan snuggles into his grip. 

“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Cayde helps the human Hunter to stand, keeping a watchful eye on him. He offers his arm to Andal for support, but the Hunter shakes his head. He stumbles on the first couple steps, seeming unwieldly, but he gains his balance. Cayde remains ready, even though he’s completely confident in Andal’s ability to judge his own strength. 

Andal steps into the sunshine, blinking into it. His chocolate colored eyes glow with relief and Cayde smiles to himself. That’s the Andal he knows. 

Cayde coaxes him out of the cave and Andal gets an eyeful of sunlight head on. He flinches, lifting a hand to shield his eyes. Tevis bounds over after making some hand signals at a bush. Cayde chuckles as the foliage shakes and Shiro rolls over the edge of the embankment. 

Andal smiles thinly. “Hey, Tevis.” 

“You doin’ all right?” 

Andal shrugs. “Well as I can be, I guess.” 

Tevis lifts a careful hand to Andal’s shoudler. “That’s all we ask.” 

Cayde can tell that Andal isn’t sure how he feels about their caution. On the one hand, it must be annoying to be treated as if he’s fragile, but on the other... maybe it’s for the better. 

Shiro rolls right up with a bear hug, and Andal chuckles. “It’s good to see you too.” 

Cayde notes that he only stiffened a little before calming. 

Andal releases him, smiling a little wider. “Thank you. For looking for me.” 

Cayde wraps an arm around his shoulders. “Always, Brask. You won’t get rid of us that easily.” 

They spend the next few hours basking in the light of the rising sun. Andal closes his eyes from time to time, listening to the grass rustle and the wind howl. For a little while, they relax, Andal safe in between the three of them. 

The area stays clear, unlike in the Cosmodrome where the Fallen just keep coming. Cayde can appreciate it. He doesn’t know how Andal would react to seeing the Fallen right now. 

Andal curls up on the warm stone slab to sleep and Cayde hears Tevis hum under his breath. “Don’t worry, buddy. We’ll take care of you. No matter what.” 

Cayde and Shiro murmur their agreement. “No matter what.” 

**Author's Note:**

> My soul is dead now. I think I need a revive. :)


End file.
